PROV 23:17 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Don’t let yourself start envying sinners—
⇔ instead it should be Yahweh that you respect and strive to obey,

Key: khaki:verbs, green:YHWH.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX Μὴ ζηλούτω ἡ καρδία σου ἁμαρτωλοὺς, ἀλλὰ ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἴσθι ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν.
(Maʸ zaʸloutō haʸ kardia sou hamartōlous, alla en fobōi Kuriou isthi holaʸn taʸn haʸmeran. )

BrTr Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day.

ULT Do not let your heart be envious of sinners,
⇔ but rather in the fear of Yahweh all the day.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

WEBBE Don’t let your heart envy sinners,
⇔ but rather fear the LORD all day long.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Do not let your heart envy sinners,
⇔ but rather be zealous in fearing the Lord all the time.

LSV Do not let your heart be envious at sinners,
But—in the fear of YHWH all the day.

FBV Don't think enviously of sinners, but always remember to honor the Lord,

T4T Do not envy sinful people;
⇔ instead, revere Yahweh all of your life.

LEB • May your heart[fn] not envy the sinners, but live in fear of Yahweh all day .[fn]

23:? Or “mind”

23:? Literally “all the day”

BBE Have no envy of sinners in your heart, but keep in the fear of the Lord all through the day;

Moff Never envy evil men,
⇔ but always reverence the Eternal;

JPS Let not thy heart envy sinners, but be in the fear of the LORD all the day;

ASV Let not thy heart envy sinners;
⇔ But be thou in the fear of Jehovah all the day long:

DRA Let not thy heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long:

YLT Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But — in the fear of Jehovah all the day.

Drby Let not thy heart envy sinners, but [be thou] in the fear of Jehovah all the day;

RV Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long:
(Let not thine/your heart envy sinners: but be thou/you in the fear of the LORD all the day long: )

SLT Thy heart shall not envy against those sinning: but be in the fear of Jehovah all the day.

Wbstr Let not thy heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.

KJB-1769 Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long.
(Let not thine/your heart envy sinners: but be thou/you in the fear of the LORD all the day long. )

KJB-1611 Let not thine heart enuy sinners, but be thou in the feare of the LORD all the day long.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps Let not thyne heart be ielous to folowe sinners, but kepe thee styll in the feare of the Lorde all the day long:
(Let not thine/your heart be jealous to follow sinners, but keep thee/you still in the fear of the Lord all the day long:)

Gnva Let not thine heart bee enuious against sinners: but let it bee in the feare of the Lord continually.
(Let not thine/your heart be envious against sinners: but let it be in the fear of the Lord continually. )

Cvdl Let not thine herte be gelous to folowe synners, but kepe ye still in the feare of the LORDE all the daye loge:
(Let not thine/your heart be jealous to follow sinners, but keep ye/you_all still in the fear of the LORD all the day long:)

Wycl Thin herte sue not synneris; but be thou in the drede of the Lord al dai.
(Thin heart sue not sinners; but be thou/you in the dread of the Lord all day.)

Luth Dein Herz folge nicht den Sündern, sondern sei täglich in der Furcht des HErr’s.
(Your heart consequence not the sinners, rather be daily in the/of_the fear(n) the LORD’s.)

ClVg Non æmuletur cor tuum peccatores, sed in timore Domini esto tota die:[fn]
(Not/No æmuletur heart your(sg) sinners, but in/into/on with_fear Master be the_whole day: )

23.17 Non æmuletur cor tuum peccatores. Si tota die, etc., usque ad unde in Apocalypsi: Esto fidelis usque ad mortem, et dabo tibi coronam vitæ Apoc. 2..

23.17 Not/No æmuletur heart your(sg) sinners. When/But_if the_whole day, etc., until to from_where/who in/into/on Apocalypsi: Esto faithful until to death, and I_will_give to_you crown of_life Apoc. 2..

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 22:17–24:22: Here are thirty sayings of wise people

This section follows the main collection of Solomon’s proverbs (10:1–22:16). It differs in significant ways from this preceding section:These differences were summarized from a number of commentaries, including UBS (page 472), Waltke (2004, page 22), and Hubbard (page 351).

The preceding section has mostly two-line proverbs that are one verse in length. This section has proverbs of a different form. They are sayings that range from one to seven verses. Most of the sayings are two or three verses in length. Each saying will be marked as a separate paragraph in the Notes.
Many of the proverbs in the preceding section express a general principle. They are not addressed specifically to the readers. Most of the sayings here contain direct commands. They advise the reader or listener either to follow wise behavior or avoid foolish behavior. Most of the sayings also give a reason or motive for following the command.
As in chapters 1–9, the author addresses his reader or listener as a father who advises his son. He uses second person commands and pronouns (you^(sing)). See the note on 23:15 for a list of verses where the words “my son” occur.

Some other headings for this section are:

Thirty Wise Sayings (CEV)

Words of the Wise (ESV)

Thirty Sayings of the Wise (NIV11)

Verse 22:20 mentions “thirty sayings,” but the Hebrew text itself does not number the sayings. Some versions that use the word “thirty” in the section heading also give a number as a separate heading for each saying. The GNT and CEV start numbering the sayings at 22:22. They have a total of thirty-one paragraphs. In these versions, the first paragraph (22:17–21) serves as an introduction to the thirty sayings (22:22–24:22).Scholars who identify 22:17–21 as the first saying include Hubbard (page 352), Fox (page 707), and Waltke (2004, page 22). Scholars who identify these verses as an introduction to the sayings that follow include Whybray (page 325) and Murphy (page 170). See also the NET footnote (b) on 22:16. Whether these introductory verses form the first saying or simply introduce the following sayings, all scholars agree that they function as an introduction to the whole section. Other versions, such as the NIV, NCV, and NLT, divide the paragraphs in the same way but do not have separate headings for each section. You may use either option in your translation.The NIV11 gives a number as a separate heading for each saying. But it counts the first paragraph as the first saying, and has a total of thirty paragraphs. Other versions have more or fewer paragraphs. For example, the ESV and NRSV have fifteen paragraphs. The NJB has thirty-four. Still other versions, such as the RSV, NET, and NJPS, do not group the verses into sayings or paragraphs.

For the convenience of those who decide to identify the number of each saying in their translation, the Notes will put the number in the paragraph headings, using the same numbering system as the GNT or CEV. These numbers will not be used in the Display.

Paragraph 23:17–18 Saying 14

In the first verse of this saying, the author gives his “son” (see 23:15) two contrasting commands. In the last verse, he promises the young man that following these commands will have good results.

23:17

The first line of this verse (17a) is a negative command. The second line (17b) is a contrasting positive command. Notice the parallel parts that contrast in meaning:

^17aDo not let your heart envy sinners,

^17bbut always continue in the fear of the LORD.

In Hebrew, there is no verb in 23:17b. Verses in Proverbs frequently omit the verb in the second line, because it is implied from the first line (ellipsis). Here the BSB has supplied the verb “continue in” in 23:17b. The NIV supplies the verb “be zealous for.” To “continue in” (the fear of the LORD) and “be zealous for” are both positive equivalents to the verb “envy” in 23:17a.

23:17a

Do not let your heart envy sinners,

¶ You^(sing) should not be envious/jealous of habitually sinful people,
¶ Do not strongly desire to have the things that bad/wicked people enjoy.

Do not let your heart envy sinners: As in 23:15, the word heart refers to the person himself, especially to his thoughts and emotions. The word sinners refers to habitual sinners or wrongdoers, not people who occasionally sin. This command implies that the young man should not strongly desire the possessions and pleasures that sinners often enjoy. Some other ways to translate this command are:

Do not envy sinners in your heart. (GW)

Don’t be envious of sinful people (GNT)

The word “sinner(s)” also occurs in 1:10 and 13:21.

23:17b

but always continue in the fear of the LORD.

but rather, you^(sing) should be eager to respect and obey Yahweh every day.
Instead, always make every effort to show respect and reverence/awe for Yahweh.

but: In Hebrew, this verse part is introduced by two words that indicate a strong contrast with the preceding negative command.The Hebrew expression is ki ʾim. It indicates a stronger contrast than the more commonly used conjunction waw (UBS, page 497). According to Waltke (page 254), this expression is used to express contrast after a negative. Some ways to indicate this strong contrast are:

but rather be zealous in fearing the Lord all the time (NET)

Instead, continue to fear the Lord (GW)

always continue in the fear of the LORD: In Hebrew, this clause is literally “in the fear of the LORD all the day.” The NIV supplied a verb with a good meaning (“be zealous for”) rather than a verb with a bad meaning (“envy”). The same Hebrew word can have either meaning.TWOT 2038 “be jealous, envious, zealous.” The TWOT article comments that the term may be used “in a favorable sense to denote consuming zeal focused on one that is loved.” See also Waltke (page 254), Hubbard (page 362) and Cohen (page 155). The good meaning is probably correct in this context.Scholars have interpreted this clause in several ways. The Notes have presented the interpretation followed by almost all English versions, as well as Waltke, Cohen, and Fox (page 734). The other main interpretation understands “the fear of the LORD” to mean “those who fear the LORD. For example, the NJPS has: “but only God-fearing men, at all times.” This interpretation implies that the young man should envy those who respect and obey the LORD. This interpretation is supported by Longman, Hubbard, and perhaps Murphy. The main reason against interpretation (2) is that it does not correspond to actual word usage. The phrase “the fear of the LORD” occurs 14 times in Proverbs. In none of the other references could it be translated as “those who fear the LORD.” See NIDOTTE (H3711 and H3707).

Although the verb “envy” occurs in 23:17a, this bad meaning does not fit with the fear of the LORD here in 23:17b. So most English versions supply a verb that has a good meaning, as the BSB and NIV have done. This command then indicates that the young man should strongly desire to respect and obey the LORD.

Some other ways to translate this command are:

but always continue to fear the Lord (NLT)

but always respect the Lord (NCV)

remain steady every day in the fear of Yahweh (NJB)

Translate this line in a way that fits the fear of the LORD and also contrasts appropriately with the command not to envy.

the fear of the LORD: The Hebrew word that the BSB translates as fear indicates both real fear and reverential awe. It also implies that a person submits to the LORD and obeys him. For translation advice, see the notes on 1:7a and 10:27a.

Parallel PROV 23:17

Section 22:17–24:22: Here are thirty sayings of wise people

Paragraph 23:17–18 Saying 14

23:17

23:17a

23:17b